Chelan, Douglas counties require reporting of all overdoses

WENATCHEE — Hospitals and clinics in Chelan and Douglas counties are now required to report every overdose they handle.

The counties’ health officer, Francis J.V. Collins, made the reports mandatory on Jan. 26 for all overdoses, including medication, drugs and alcohol.

In a news release, the health district says it wants to track overdoses to monitor the prevention methods it has implemented.

The opioid epidemic continues to be a problem nationally and locally, according to the news release. The health district will use the data to help fight that epidemic, it says.

Currently, only overdose deaths are tracked, said Barry Kling, Chelan-Douglas Health District administrator. Hospitals and clinics don’t report cases in which people survive an overdose.

“It isn’t one of those things that is required,” Kling said. “There are certain diseases like meningitis and tuberculosis where there is a requirement, they are called notifiable conditions, but overdose isn’t one of them.”

The health district also wants to track which substances people overdose on, Kling said.